Follow Hershel Friedman’s hiking excursions in all types of weather and terrain in the lower New York / Hudson Highlands area. From short hikes in Harriman State Park to insane scrambles in the Gunks, you can follow it all here.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Total Time: 1:10 hoursEstimated Distance: 2.7 milesLevel of Difficulty: ModerateLevel of Recommendation: Not RecommendedPoints Of Interest: Views of Lake TioratiPros: Very quiet part of the parkCons: No views, Lacks significant points of interest

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map
This was the coldest day I ever remember in November. We started the hike at 19 degrees and it was 21 when we finished. There were also very high winds with gusts over 30 miles per hour, making this one of the coldest hikes in a long time. We knew it was going to be cold, but being only November we weren't dressed properly. We had planned on making this hike longer as well, but do to the brutal conditions had to cut it short.

We parked at Tiorati Circle and took the short Lake Tiorati Trail up to the Appalachian Trail. This part of the trail is combined with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail, and we headed north on the two trails, and continued along the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail by the split. The trail passes an area called Youman's Flat. I am not fully sure what this area is, but it seems to be where they dump all the garbage in the park. Anyone with any knowledge on this is welcome to comment. From there we crossed Seven Lakes Drive, and continued along the Ramapo Dunderberg Trail. At the point where the trail goes from south to east, there is an old unmarked trail that used to be the Ramapo-Dunderberg that takes you back to Seven Lakes Drive. We cut across to Seven Lakes Drive, and then crossed the road and walked along the northern shore of Lake Tiorati back to the traffic circle and back to our car.

Map of the Route.Harriman/Bear Mountain State Park Northern Map

Shimmy Ahead of a Fallen Tree on the Lake Tiorati Trail.Note the Light Snow Cover from the Flurries the Night Before.

Youman's Flat, along the side of the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.Looks Like There is a Garbage Incinerator Here.Not Quite Sure What Goes on Here.

This was a wet and rainy day. There was rain predicted in the forecase for later in the day, but I checked the radar and all looked okay, so figured I was safe. However, the cloud cover was very low, creating a foggy mist the entire time, and the radar wasn't showing the rain. It was foggy the entire time with very poor visibility, and I couldn't see more than 200 feet in front of me. Had I realized what the weather was going to be like, I would have dressed much differently, as I came back quite wet.

I parked on Tiorati Brook Road, at the Red Cross Trail. I walked through the meadow, crossed the brook, and continued along the trail passed the Beech Trail and through a thick mountain laurel forest. The mountain laurels are evergreen, and they were wet and encroaching on the trail, and there was no way to avoid their wet leaves walking through the trail. The trail really needs to be widened at this point. This part of the hike left my pants soaking wet. I continued to the Menomine Trail, and went a little past on the Red Cross Trail to the Burnt House. I had never been there, but was very disappointed to see nothing there. There is just a whole in the ground with a stone foundation, but there is really no landmark here and it should just be labeled on the map as a ruin. I turned around and crossed the brook, and took the Menomine Trail, which climbs Letterrock Mountain to the shelter.

I took a break at the shelter to dry out a bit. I then took the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail down until the unmarked Bockey Swamp Trail. This trail was easy to follow the whole way back from here, but there are many points where it is very narrow and in the brush, so it is not an idea trail. I went to the end of the trail, back at the Red Cross Trail, and followed this back to my car.

Map of the Route
Harriman/Bear Mountain Maps, Northern Map

The Empty Field at the Beginning of the Hike

Another View of the Empty Field
The Fog Provides and Eerie Look

Stones Crossing the Tiorati Brook.
There is Usually Alot of Water Here, but its just a Trickle
now due to the Dry Spell

It was a late fall day, with most of the foliage gone, but just a little remaining. I had been in the area two weeks ago from the Nurian approach to the Boston Mine, and wanted to try the mine from a different approach. I also wanted to visit the Green Pond again to compare the foliage from two weeks ago to this week.

I parked at the Carr Pond Mountain Trailhead on County 106, and then took the White Bar Trail north, past the Nurian Trail intersection, and then to the Dunning Trail. Headed west on the Dunning Trail, and went towards the Boston Mine. The trail goes above the southern flank of the mine. The Boston Mine is an old abandoned iron mine probably from the 1800's. I then continued along the trail on the southern flank of the Green Pond, and then cut back to the Nurian Trail for a short distance to Island Pond Road. Island Pond road is a double-track trail that is unmarked but well-maintained and easy to follow. I took Island Pond Road back down to the White Bar Trail intersection and then back towards my car.

I was in this general area the last two hikes and wanted to complete all the trails in the area. This was the last significant foliage hike, and most trees had already lost their leaves. We started in the Elk Pen, took the Appalachian Trail for a short distance to the Arden-Surebridge Trail, along the side of the Elk Pen field, and then took the Stahahe Brook Trail. Much of the Stahahe Brook Trail has been rerouted along the eastern side of the brook valley due to a collapsed bridge along the brook. We took the new trail route until the trail terminus at the Nurian Trail. We then took the Nurian Trail for a little bit towards Lake Stahahe, and then cut off the trail to the woods right and down towards Lake Stahahe. We then turned around, back on the Nurian Trail, and took the old Stahahe Brook Trail back down along the western flank of the brook. The brook was easy to cross despite the bridge being out, especially with the dryness of the season. We then continued from here back the same way down to the car.

Map of the Route.Harriman/Bear Mountain Trails Northern Map

Appalachian Trail at the Elk Pen

Looking at the Mountains Behind the Elk Pen

Last Remaining Foliage Near the Elk Pen

Arden-Surebridge Termination at the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail Going Thru the Elk Pen,with the Parking Area in the Distance